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Workbench Tutorial - Flow Over An Airfoil
Workbench Tutorial - Flow Over An Airfoil
Authors: Scott Richards, Keith Martin, and John M. Cimbala, Penn State University
Latest revision: 17 January 2011
Introduction
This tutorial provides instructions for creating a fluid volume and mesh around a NACA 7420 airfoil and
for analyzing the flow in FLUENT. It also shows how to use multiple fluid bodies and edge sizing to create
a c-mesh. The entire meshed fluid field and a portion of the mesh near the airfoil are shown below.
1. Open an internet browser and go the the NACA 4 Digits Series Profile Generator at
http://www.ppart.de/aerodynamics/profiles/NACA4.html .
On some computers, Java may be disabled
and the website wont display properly.
Check your browsers settings if you are
having trouble viewing the website.
D
This site enables users to generate any
standard NACA 4-digit 2D airfoil.
2. Adjust the top three sliders to create a nonsymmetric 7420 airfoil.
3. Change # Points to 60 and Point Size to 4 so
that the points are clearly visible.
If too many points are used to define the
airfoil, DesignModeler wont be able to
create the profile of the airfoil because the
distance between adjacent points is too
small.
4. Show Points, then highlight everything that
appears in the window to the right of the sliders and copy it to the clipboard.
In Windows <Ctrl> + <A> can be used to highlight the data points, then <Ctrl> + <C> can be
used to copy the selection to the clipboard.
5. Open Microsoft Excel.
A simple text editing program (such as vi in linux) can also be used to format the airfoil data.
Use the following steps as a guidline to create a compatible file using a text editor:
Paste in the data (<Ctrl> + <V> in Windows machines).
Create lines of data with five fields separated by spaces or tabs, as described below.
Eliminate lines of data that have identical coordinates.
Precede comments with #.
Save the data as a simple text file.
6. LMB in cell C1 to select it, then paste the data from the clipboard (<Ctrl> + <V>).
7. LMB on the Data tab. The data should still be highlighted. Text to Columns.
8. In Convert Text to Columns, Next. Select Space under Delimiters.
9. Next, then Finish to separate the data into two columns.
10. Insert a blank row between NACA7420 and the airfoil data.
Rows can be inserted by RMB on a row number, then Insert. The new row will be inserted
above the row on which you clicked.
11. In row 2, type column labels that match the ones
shown to the right.
LMB on cell A2 and type #Group then
<Tab>, type Point <Tab>, type X_cord <Tab>, type Y_cord <Tab> and type Z_cord.
12. Insert a # before NACA7420 in cell C1.
The # is used to denote a comment in DesignModeler coordinate files.
The first two rows of this excel file help keep the data organized, but they are not required.
13. In the first line of data, change the X coordinate to 1 and the Y coordinate to 0.
The first data point should be located at the trailing edge of the airfoil, but due to resolution and
accuracy limits it is not exactly (1,0). Now scale everthing to make the chord 80mm.
14. Enter 1 in cell A3 and A4, and fill through the rest of column A.
The first column in the spreadsheet denotes the group number for each set of points.
15. Starting in cell B3, enter 1 and increase to 2 in cell B4. Fill the rest of the column in numerical
order.
16. In column B of the last row of data, change the point number to 0.
For closed curves, the last point number must be 0 in DesignModeler.
17. In cells E3, E4, etc. through the rest of the rows, enter 0 for the Z coordinate of each point.
18. Office Button-Save As. After selecting an appropriate folder, name the file 7420_Airfoil_Profile.
Change the Save as type to Excel Workbook. Save-OK-Yes.
Saving the file as an Excel Workbok isnt necessary, but is done so that the file can be easily
modified at a later time in the event that the import into DM is unsuccessful.
19. Repeat the procedure from the previous step, but change the Save as type to Text (Tab delimited).
Answer Yes (or OK) to any warnings that may appear; not to worry about these messages.
20. Close Excel.
1. This tutorial assumes that ANSYS Workbench is running but no projects are open.
2. Under View make sure that Toolbox, Toolbox Customization and Project
Schematic all have check marks next to them.
Check marks can be inserted by placing the cursor over the menu item
and LMB.
3. In Toolbox Customization under Analysis Systems, verify that Fluid Flow
(FLUENT) has a check mark next to it.
If column A is not shown in Toolbox Customization, 1 located to the
left of Name in Toolbox Customization.
To de-clutter your Workbench workspace, close or minimize Toolbox Customization; it is not
needed after this step.
4. In Toolbox, not Toolbox Customization, Fluid Flow (FLUENT) and hold the LMB to drag it into the
box that will appear in Project Schematic.
If there are no Analysis Systems visible in the Toolbox, try + (clicking +) next to Analysis
Systems in Toolbox.
1. Create-Primitives-Box.
2. In Details View, From One Point and Diagonal to change Box
Type to From Two Points.
3. Enter the coordinates for Point 1: X = 80mm, Y = -1 m, and Z =
0 m.
4. Enter the coordinates for Point 2: X = 2 m, Y = 1 m.
5. To set the value for Point 2 Z Coordiante, LMB in the box to the
left of the label. For Parameter Name, type ExtrusionLength,
then OK. Generate.
Using defined parameters to set dimensions makes changing
dimensions easier later on.
6. Create-Primitives-Cylinder.
7. In Details View, set Origin X Coordinate = 80 mm. Set FD10,
Radius = 1 m.
8. LMB in the box to the left of FD8, Axis Z Coordinate. For
Parameter Name, type ExtrusionLength, then OK. Generate.
9. Look at Face/Plane/Sketch .
1. Create-Boolean.
2. Change Operation from Unite to Subtract.
3. In Tree Outline, LMB on + that is to the left of 3 Parts, 3 Bodies to display available bodies if
necessary (this may already be selected).
4. For Target Bodies, Not Selected, choose Solid in Tree Outline, and Apply.
5. For Tool Bodies, Not Selected, choose Airfoil in Tree Outline, and Apply. Generate.
6. Tools-Freeze.
Freezing prevents the geometry from combining with geometry that is created after the freeze.
Rotate slightly by dragging the MMB; you should see a small thickness of the airfoil body.
7. In Tree Outline, LMB on Solid under 2 Parts, 2 Bodies. In Details View, change Body to Fluid
and Fluid/Solid to Fluid.
1. Create-Slice. Select ZXPlane from Tree Outline. Apply to assign the selected plane as the Base
Plane. Generate.
Slicing the fluid volume into smaller volumes allows for greater control over mesh sizing.
2. New Plane . In Details View, set Base Plane as YZPlane (Select it in Tree Outline and Apply).
Change Transform 1 (RMB) to Offset Z. Set FD1, Value 1 = 1m. Generate.
3. Create-Slice. Select Plane4 from Tree Outline. Apply to assign the selected plane as the Base
Plane. Generate.
4. Simultaneously select the four volumes (Fluid) under 5 Parts, 5
Bodies in the Tree Outline. RMB- Form New Part.
5. File-Save Project. After selecting an appropriate folder in which to
save the project, enter 7420Airfoil for the File Name, and Save.
6. Close DM.
In Workbench, Geometry should now have a check mark.
Label faces
9. Zoom in until surfaces are visible. LMB on one of the exposed faces.
LMB
from the toolbar. Extend to Limits.
10. RMB-Create Named Selection. Enter Inlet as the name for the group of
faces. <Enter>.
11. RMB-View-Front.
12. LMB Named Selections in the Outline. The labeled
selections should look similar to the ones to the right.
Create mesh
1.
2.
3.
4.
the drop down menu for Velocity Specification Method. Change Velocity Magnitude to
the value calculated for a Reynolds number of 130,000, set your direction vectors and OK.
1. In the main FLUENT menu, Solve-Run Calculation to open up the Run Calculation sub-window.
Change Number of Iterations to 200, and Calculate. The main screen will list the residuals after
every iteration, while the graphical display window will plot the residuals as a function of iteration
number.
The residuals may rise at first, but should slowly start to fall. It is normal for the residuals to
fluctuate up and down. Do not be concerned if there are reverse flow warnings; these will
disappear in time.
2. When the solution is done or converged, OK.
3. Check to see how the solution is progressing. In the main FLUENT menu, Display-Graphics and
Animations-Vectors-Set Up [the upper Set Up, not the lower one].
4. In the Vectors window that opens, select interior-part-fluid under Surfaces. Display. Velocity
vectors will be displayed.
5. Go get a better view of the vector field, rotate the
vector field by LMB while dragging the cursor.
6. Zoom in on the airfoil to view the velocity field in
more detail. It should look similar to the velocity
field to the right. Close the Vectors window.
To zoom in, drag a box with the MMB from the lower left to upper right.
To zoom out, drag a box with the MMB from the upper right to the lower left.
7. The current mesh is sufficient for 200 iterations and initial calculations, but the mesh must be
refined before iterating further.
1. Our mesh is not tight enough near the airfoil surface to properly resolve the boundary layer.
Fortunately, FLUENT has a feature that automatically adds grid points where needed for better
resolution. There are several options for
grid adaptation we will adapt by
velocity gradient.
2. In the main FLUENT menu, AdaptGradient. In the new Gradient
Adaption window, select Gradients of
Velocity.
3. Compute. Minimum and maximum
velocity gradients will appear in the
window.
4. As a good rule of thumb, set the Refine
Threshold to about 1/10 of the
maximum gradient. Enter this value in
the appropriate text box.
5. Mark. The main FLUENT window will display how many cells have been selected for refining and
coarsening.
The coarsening cells can be ignored since FLUENT is unable to coarsen the original grid it
can only refine the original grid.
6. Optional: If you want to see where the grid will be adapted, click Manage-Display. Areas destined
for grid refinement will be highlighted.
7. Back in the Gradient Adaption window, Adapt-Yes. The main FLUENT window will display some
information about the grid adaptation.
8. The Gradient Adaption window can be closed at this point.
9. Solve-Run Calculation from the main FLUENT menu to re-open the Run Calculation sub-window.
Change Number of Iterations to 500, and Calculate-OK.
10. When the solution is done or converged, OK.
11. Check to see how the solution is progressing. In the main FLUENT menu, Display-Graphics and
Animations-Vectors-Set Up-Display. The graphical display window will show velocity vectors. The
vectors should be closer together in regions where the mesh was refined.
12. Close the Vectors window.
13. Zoom in (MMB lower left to upper right) or out (MMB upper right to lower left) and move (MMB
where you want to center the view) as necessary to see the velocity field.
1. Following the procedure outlined previously in the section called Refine the mesh and iterate
some more, refine the grid and re-iterate as necessary (three times) to obtain a final solution. Each
time you adapt the grid, you must re-calculate the gradients (Compute), re-adjust the refine
threshold (set to about 1/10 of the maximum gradient), Mark, Adapt-Yes.
2. Calculate at least 400 iterations after each grid adaption. The residuals will rise dramatically after an
adaption, but will decay as the solution adjusts itself to the newly refined grid.
Caution: Don't adapt too much, or the computations will take too much CPU time. Note that
every time you refine the grid, the computer must calculate the flow field at more grid points,
requiring longer for successive iterations.
3. When finished adapting, run several hundred iterations until the residuals level off, or until the
convergence criteria are reached.